The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple 16 patents on Tuesday, including filings related to solar power, methods for detecting and switching device orientation and a Cover Flow-like interface for editing video.

Solar power

U.S. Patent No. 8,004,113, entitled "Methods and apparatuses for operating devices with solar power," reflects Apple's continued interest in the alternative power source.

The filing specifically address "solar power tracking techniques," detailing an apparatus including a voltage converter coupled with a controller. Apple describes a method whereby the voltage converter monitors input from a solar power source to maintain the output voltage within a predetermined range. The patent contains technical details, such as formulas, for calculating the amount of power drawn from solar cells.

The application was filed on Oct. 6, 2006. Credit for the invention goes to Wendell Sander, Daniel Warren and Aaron Leiba.

Apple has been considering solar power for several years now. According to one report, both Apple and Samsung are "evaluating" the option for their consumer products, but high-efficiency solutions are not ready for mass production.

In January, the USPTO published an Apple patent application for an auxiliary solar cell that could be used as a backup power source for mobile devices. Apple has also looked into covering a device such as the iPod or iPhone with solar cells.

Device orientation

Apple on Tuesday was awarded one new patent, as well as a reissued patent, for methods for detecting the orientation of a device and changing the display accordingly. U.S. Patent No. 8,004,493 is entitled "Methods and systems for providing sensory information to devices and peripherals," while RE42639 is entitled "Apparatus and method for rotating the display orientation of a captured image."

Apple on Tuesday was awarded one new patent, as well as a reissued patent, for methods for detecting the orientation of a device and changing the display accordingly. U.S. Patent No. 8,004,493 is entitled "Methods and systems for providing sensory information to devices and peripherals," while RE42639 is entitled "Apparatus and method for rotating the display orientation of a captured image."

You need to check the patent links as they do not link to either of the patents you describe!

If Apple invented it first, and successfully patented it, yes. And they should be rewarded for their innovation efforts because nobody else but Apple bothered to spend the time & money to advance the usefulness of mobile devices in such a fundamental way.

auto-orientation belongs to one company now? do you Apple fans at least agree that's a bit ridiculous?

I know apple could be awarded the patent for air and there'd be few naysayers but let's be real here.

Patenting some things doesn't necessarily block anyone else from having something similar. Typically they patten the way it works, if you find another way that also works, neither is infringement of each other. A company pattens this technology, not for the royalties (since most companies will make their own versions to save money) but so nobody else pattens their method and then sues them.

It's dog eat dog with those pattens.

At least Tesla wasn't a patent prick, he could sue practically every technology company that has ever existed that has ever used any electrical device @_@